What a Night! A Christmas Album
Encyclopedia
What a Night! A Christmas Album, by American
singer, pianist and bandleader Harry Connick, Jr.
, was released on November 4, 2008., being his third Christmas album, since 1993's When My Heart Finds Christmas
and 2003's Harry for the Holidays
. The album consists of new recordings of Christmas classics, and new songs written by Connick.
The first public mentioning of recording the album, came in an interview in The Times-Picayune in June 2008.
The album was first called Christmas Day, but the title was changed in September 2008, to What a Night! A Christmas Album.
The track "Song for the Hopeful", is a duet with Kim Burrell
. The song was written by Connick for the 2008 television film Living Proof
. Burell is also featured on "Let There Be Peace On Earth".
Connick has three daughters with his wife Jill Goodacre
, and their middle daughter Sarah Kate, sings a duet with him on the track "Winter Wonderland
".
When the track list was first announced, the songs "Christmas Time is Here" and "Trinity", was part of the album. In early October, those two tracks were replaced with two new tracks: "Christmas Day
", and an instrumental version of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
[*] also found on the Harry for the Holidays
DVD
by Harry Connick, Jr.
to support the album. The tour was confirmed by the official Harry Connick, Jr. website in September 2008.
One of their stops included the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, pianist and bandleader Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
, was released on November 4, 2008., being his third Christmas album, since 1993's When My Heart Finds Christmas
When My Heart Finds Christmas
When My Heart Finds Christmas is American artist Harry Connick, Jr.'s first Christmas album. Released in 1993, it is among the most popular holiday collections of the past two decades in the United States. Connick Jr composed four songs for the album: "When My Heart Finds Christmas", " Santa...
and 2003's Harry for the Holidays
Harry for the Holidays
Harry for the Holidays is American artist Harry Connick, Jr.'s second Christmas album, released in 2003. The album features Connick and his 16 piece Big Band and a full string section....
. The album consists of new recordings of Christmas classics, and new songs written by Connick.
The first public mentioning of recording the album, came in an interview in The Times-Picayune in June 2008.
The album was first called Christmas Day, but the title was changed in September 2008, to What a Night! A Christmas Album.
The track "Song for the Hopeful", is a duet with Kim Burrell
Kim Burrell
Kimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
. The song was written by Connick for the 2008 television film Living Proof
Living Proof (film)
Living Proof is a 2008 Lifetime Television movie, directed by Dan Ireland, starring Harry Connick, Jr.The film is based on the true life story of Dr. Dennis Slamon and the book HER-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer by Robert Bazell. Vivienne Radkoff wrote the...
. Burell is also featured on "Let There Be Peace On Earth".
Connick has three daughters with his wife Jill Goodacre
Jill Goodacre
Jill Goodacre Connick is an American actress and former model. She was one of Victoria's Secret main models in the 1980s and early 1990s...
, and their middle daughter Sarah Kate, sings a duet with him on the track "Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland
"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...
".
When the track list was first announced, the songs "Christmas Time is Here" and "Trinity", was part of the album. In early October, those two tracks were replaced with two new tracks: "Christmas Day
Christmas Day (disambiguation)
Christmas Day is a widely celebrated holiday that falls on December 25.It can also refer to:-Music:*"Christmas Day" , released by Squeeze in 1979*"Christmas Day" *"Christmas Day" Christmas Day is a widely celebrated holiday that falls on December 25.It can also refer to:-Music:*"Christmas Day"...
", and an instrumental version of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
Track listing
- "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the YearIt's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album...
" (Edward PolaEdward PolaEdward "Eddie" Pola was an actor, radio/television producer, and songwriter....
, George WyleGeorge WyleGeorge Wyle , born Bernard Weissman, was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Early Years:...
) - 3:28 - "What A Night!" (Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
) - 3:24 - "Christmas DayChristmas Day (disambiguation)Christmas Day is a widely celebrated holiday that falls on December 25.It can also refer to:-Music:*"Christmas Day" , released by Squeeze in 1979*"Christmas Day" *"Christmas Day" Christmas Day is a widely celebrated holiday that falls on December 25.It can also refer to:-Music:*"Christmas Day"...
" (ConnickHarry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
) - 3:24 - "Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny MarksJohnny MarksJohnny Marks was an American songwriter. Although he was Jewish, he specialized in Christmas songs and wrote many standards, including "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" , "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" , "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" , and "A Holly...
) - 4:05 - "Please Come Home for ChristmasPlease Come Home for Christmas"Please Come Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song, released in 1960, by the American blues singer and pianist Charles Brown. Hitting Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in December 1961, the tune Brown co-wrote with Gene Redd peaked at position #76. It appeared on the Christmas Singles chart for nine...
" (Charles BrownCharles Brown (musician)Charles Brown , born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s...
, Gene Redd) - 4:26 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" (traditional) - 4:15
- "Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairies" (Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
) - 2:46 - "Let There Be Peace On Earth" (Sy Miller, Jill Jackson) - 3:30 – feat. Kim BurrellKim BurrellKimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
- "Winter WonderlandWinter Wonderland"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...
" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - 3:50 – feat. Sarah Kate Connick - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ChristmasIt's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a classic Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas"...
" (Meredith WillsonMeredith WillsonRobert Meredith Willson was an American composer, songwriter, conductor and playwright, best known for writing the book, music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical The Music Man...
) - 3:30 - "Santariffic" (ConnickHarry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
) - 3:58 – feat. Lucien BarbarinLucien BarbarinLucien Barbarin is an American trombone player, born July 17, 1956, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Barbarin tours internationally with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and with Harry Connick, Jr.... - "Jingle BellsJingle Bells"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
" (James Lord PierpontJames Pierpont (musician)James Lord Pierpont was an American songwriter, arranger, organist, and composer, best known for writing and composing Jingle Bells in 1857, originally entitled "The One Horse Open Sleigh". He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and died in Winter Haven, Florida...
) - 5:28 - "Zat You Santa Claus" (Jack Fox) - 3:40
- "We Three KingsWe Three Kings"We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns...
" (Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr.) - 4:45 - "Song for the Hopeful" (ConnickHarry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
) - 4:35 – feat. Kim BurrellKim BurrellKimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
iTunes bonus track
- "Auld Lang SyneAuld Lang Syne"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
" (traditional) - 2:16 (album only) - Digital Booklet (album only)
Barnes & Noble Exclusive Version
- "Deck the Halls" (traditional) - 2:57
- "Christmas Time is Here" (Vince GuaraldiVince GuaraldiVincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip...
, Lee MendelsonLee MendelsonLee Mendelson is an American television producer. He is best known as the executive producer of the many Peanuts animated specials....
) - 5:06 - "O Christmas Tree" (traditional) - 3:22
- Disc 2 (DVD)
- Holiday interview with Harry
- Photo gallery
- "(It Must Have Been) Ol’ Santa ClausWhen My Heart Finds ChristmasWhen My Heart Finds Christmas is American artist Harry Connick, Jr.'s first Christmas album. Released in 1993, it is among the most popular holiday collections of the past two decades in the United States. Connick Jr composed four songs for the album: "When My Heart Finds Christmas", " Santa...
" - "I Pray on ChristmasI Pray On Christmas"I Pray on Christmas" is a Christmas carol with music and lyrics by Harry Connick Jr. First released in 1993 on his multi platinum album When My Heart Finds Christmas...
" - "The Happy ElfThe Happy Elf (song)"The Happy Elf" is a holiday song with music and lyrics by Harry Connick Jr.It was first released on Connick's album Harry for the Holidays, which became the best selling Christmas album of 2003. When asked about the songs on the album, Connick described "The Happy Elf" as a "kids’ song", about...
" *
[*] also found on the Harry for the Holidays
Harry for the Holidays
Harry for the Holidays is American artist Harry Connick, Jr.'s second Christmas album, released in 2003. The album features Connick and his 16 piece Big Band and a full string section....
DVD
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Jazz Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums | 5 |
Personnel
ArrangementArrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
by Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
- Harry Connick Jr. - vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Lucien BarbarinLucien BarbarinLucien Barbarin is an American trombone player, born July 17, 1956, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Barbarin tours internationally with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and with Harry Connick, Jr....
- vocals, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... - Kim BurrellKim BurrellKimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
- vocals - Kate Connick - vocals
- James Hall & Worship & Praise - background vocals
- Neal Caine - vocals, bass instrument
- Jonathan DuBose Jr. - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Charles "Ned" Goold - alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
- Jerry Weldon - tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
- Dave Schumacher - baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
- Roger Ingram - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Tony Kadleck - trumpet
- Joe Magnarelli - trumpet
- Jeff Bush - trombone
- Dion Tucker - trombone
- Joe Barati - bass trombone
- Arthur Latin - drums, percussion
Tour
A Holiday Celebration Tour 2008, is a concert tour with his big bandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
to support the album. The tour was confirmed by the official Harry Connick, Jr. website in September 2008.
One of their stops included the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York City. The tree is erected and lit in late November or early December. In recent years, the lighting has been broadcast live nationwide on NBC's Christmas in...
.
Tour dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | ||||
| November 18, 2008 | Louisville, KY | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Palace Theatre The Louisville Palace The Louisville Palace is a theatre, in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's theater district, on the east side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Chestnut Street. It has a seating capacity of 2,700 people and is owned by Live Nation... |
|
| November 19, 2008 | Cincinnati, OH | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Taft Theatre Taft Theatre The Taft Theatre is a 2,500-seat theater, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 317 East Fifth Street. The theatre was built in 1928, as evidenced by its Art Deco interior. All seats are unobstructed, giving every seat a clear view of the stage. It is part of the Masonic Temple Building at Fifth and... |
|
| November 20, 2008 | Columbus, OH | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Ohio Theatre | |
| November 21, 2008 | Charleston, WV | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Clay Center Clay Center (West Virginia) The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences - West Virginia in Charleston, West Virginia, USA is a facility dedicated to promoting arts, visual arts, and the sciences... |
|
| November 22, 2008 | Cleveland, OH | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
State Theatre State Theater (Cleveland) The State Theatre is a theater on Euclid Avenue, Cleveland in downtown Cleveland, Ohio that is part of Playhouse Square. It was designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb to be the flagship of Marcus Loew's Loew's Ohio Theatres company.... |
|
| November 28, 2008 | New York, NY | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
City Center Theatre New York City Center New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall... |
|
| November 29, 2008 | ||||
| December 4, 2008 | Newark, NJ | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
New Jersey Performing Arts Center New Jersey Performing Arts Center The New Jersey Performing Arts Center , in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States... |
|
| December 5, 2008 | Atlantic City, NJ | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Borgata Event Center Borgata The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International... |
|
| December 7, 2008 | St. Louis, MO | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Fox Theatre Fox Theatre (St. Louis) The Fox Theatre, a former movie palace, is a performing arts center located at 527 N. Grand Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri. Also known as "The Fabulous Fox", it is situated in the arts district of the Grand Center area in Midtown St. Louis, one block north of Saint Louis University... |
|
| December 9, 2008 | Minneapolis, MN | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Orpheum Theatre | |
| December 10, 2008 | Chicago, IL | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Chicago Theatre Chicago Theatre The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother... |
|
| December 11, 2008 | ||||
| December 12, 2008 | Milwaukee, WI | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Riverside Theater Riverside Theater (Milwaukee) Riverside Theater is a concert hall, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The venue, which has seats for 2,460 people and hosts many different musical artists and shows... |
|
| December 14, 2008 | Nashville, TN | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry.... |
|
| December 16, 2008 | Atlanta, GA | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is a performing arts venue located in the Cumberland/Galleria edge city, just northwest of Atlanta, Georgia... |
|
| December 17, 2008 | Durham, NC | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Durham Performing Arts Center | |
| December 19, 2008 | Boston, MA | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Colonial Theatre Colonial Theatre The Colonial Theatre is the oldest continually-operating theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Designed by the architectural firm of Clarence Blackall and paid for by Frederick Lothrop Ames the theatre first opened its doors for a performance of Ben-Hur on December 20, 1900... |
|
| December 20, 2008 | ||||
| December 21, 2008 | ||||